Medical Cannabis growers can learn from fresh produce and flower grower

13/03/2020

The professional cultivation of medicinal cannabis is growing worldwide but has plenty of technical challenges. Many growers and investors have little or no background in horticulture and therefore still have to learn a lot of skills. The use of existing and new techniques can help with the optimization of cultivation. But in the end, it all starts with a good basis.

When cultivating Medical Cannabis, growers aim to produce consistent quantities of certain substances (CBD, THC and other cannabinoids). The degree to which grow light impacts the quantities of CBD and THC depends on the plant genetics of the various cannabis strains, says André Lagareiro of Hortilux. “We have specialists and partners who possess knowledge of grow light and its impact on the various varieties of medical cannabis. This knowledge enables us to advise on the optimal light recipe for each of the different phases of your medical cannabis crop. Obviously, we also consider your objectives and the associated business case. Hortilux develops and establishes grow light systems that are a perfect match with your needs and situation. Aspects we consider include the type of greenhouse, the growing system, the climate system, and the local situation. After installing your grow system, we continue to support you by proactively providing service and maintenance, and through the use of the HortiSense Digital Grow Light Dashboard.”
Hortilux has been supplying grow light solutions for legal medical cannabis for over fifteen years now. “Medical cannabis cultivation has been booming in recent years. Not only are more and more governments regulating the cultivation of this crop, but demand from the pharmaceutical industry is constantly increasing. This in turn means that Hortilux is receiving more and more enquiries about using grow light efficiently for medicinal cannabis cultivation, from investors both inside and outside the horticultural sector.”

Specific light spectrums

Lagareiro explains that cannabis is a seasonal crop. “By controlling its light cycle one can induce and control flowering, thus harvest several times in the year and phasing its production. By using artificial lighting to compensate for the different seasons when growing in a greenhouse you can ensure a stable product year-round. Growing indoor, without daylight, the use of artificial lighting is, of course, mandatory and control more granular. By using specific spectrums during the different stages of the plants life you can better work with what it needs, mimicking ideal light conditions in a favorable grow environment, thus maximizing yield and quality, not only of flowers but the amount of resin, cannabinoid, terpene and flavonoid content.”

The two most popular luminaires now are the Hortilux HSE NXT2 1000W HPS and HortiLED Top, which runs with an efficiency of up to 3.5µmol/J, the highest one currently in the market, says Lagareiro. “We believe in the future of LED technology, the use of sensors and plant models to be able to work better with the plant and give it what it tells us it needs. By working with this data, you have a better control and make working with nature a bit more predictable and manageable.” Besides that, Hortilux provides digital monitoring systems for both the electrical installation of the grow light system (which ensures risk of dangerous situations and damage is minimized) and the crop itself, making sure that the grower’s valuable crop is performing at its best and anomalies which can decrease production can be detected in an early stage. Making the use of grow lights in the cannabis industry more save. And according to Lagareiro the grow light market will continue developing in the next years. “For the future it’s important to have an even better understanding of the exact spectrum needs for the different stages of the plant, to phase energy use efficiently based on their photosynthetic capacity and consciously respond to its light/energy needs.”

Would you like to know more about using grow light for medical cannabis cultivation?

Please contact our International Account Manager André Lagareiro via +31(0) 682 426 458 or a.lagareiro@hortilux.com.